For the younger shark fans out there, Biscuit® digital media has released a shark-themed children’s book for iPad. According to Biscuit® “Sparky the Shark – A Frighteningly Funny Advenutre” follows the story of Sparky, a friendly but misunderstood shark, and his penguin pal Dax on their adventures to find a new look for Sparky.

The digital book features 33 illustrated pages and includes other interactive activities. An optional “Read to Me” feature that offers voice-over narration for younger readers is also included.

“Sparky the Shark” is now avaialable at the iTunes App Store for $3.99.

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that an airline pilot had an encounter with a flying great white shark at “several thousand feet.” Don’t worry, SyFy’s “Mega Shark” has not become a reality, rather the shark in question was a wayward helium filled Air Swimmers toy, a popular item this Christmas, according to the report. The encounter occurred on December 26, during the pilot’s descent into New Zealand’s Christchurch International Airport. The incident was reported to ground control (no word on whether Major Tom was involved) to alert other air traffic to the presence of the toy.

William Mark Corporation, the designer of the toy, notes that it is strictly for indoor use. So, if you were the lucky recipient of an Air Swimmers great white over the holidays, please make sure to keep your shark inside at all times.

YouTube user bqnbarb13 recently uploaded the video above which, according to the video description, features two humpback whales surfacing in close proximity to a surfer and a couple of kayakers. The video was shot by Barb Roettger off of Santa Cruz, California. While the video title “Surfer Almost Swallowed by Whale” is a bit over-the-top, it’s still some impressive footage.

From the folks at Woodhead Entertainment comes the next great shark attack movie “Shark Pool.” Party-goers are helpless to stop a man-eating shark who has found its way into the pool and attacks anything that enters water. If only there were some way to stop the carnage…

(Okay, it’s actually just a spoof trailer parodying the recently released “Shark Night.”)

DC Comics’ Batman has a long history of shark abuse. It was first chronicled in 1966 when Batman attacked a rubber shark with his trusty shark repellent causing the poor creature to explode. In 1973, Batman’s assault of a shark with a chain was documented in Batman Vol#1 251 “The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge.”

The 1994 release of Detective Comics Annual #7 revealed that Batman’s violence toward sharks knows no boundaries, as it is revealed that an alternate-reality pirate version of Batman likes to kick sharks in the face.

As recently as last year, Batman was seen attacking a shark with a lightsaber.

Now, with the recent release of his latest videogame, Batman: Arkham City (seen in the video above), Batman has once again taken to abusing a shark. Aquaman must be so disappointed.

A new game based on the “Jaws” franchise is now available for iPad, iPhone, and iPod. “Jaws Revenge” was released yesterday and features classic side-scrolling gameplay. Players will control a rampaging great white shark, and it looks like the theme of the game is to eat, crash into, and/or blow-up everything in sight. Players will also be able to “upgrade” their shark, but alas, it does not seem that you can “frickin laser beams” on the shark’s head as an upgrade.

It appears that nothing in the water or the air is safe in this game, including massive yachts and hang-gliding thrill seekers. Fear not, though, this is just a ridiculous videogame, and the behavior of the ginormous rampaging shark in the game is not representative of actual white shark behavior.

“Jaws Revenge” is on sale now at Apple’s iTunes app store for $0.99.

If you’re a shark fan or nature enthusiast, you’re probably no stranger to BBC’s Planet Earth series. The high-speed camera footage of a white shark seen in the clip above has become one of the hallmark scenes from the series. Starting today (October 4, 2011) two new editions of the series are available on Blu-ray and DVD.

From BBC:

This fall, experience the ultimate portrait of our world like never before as BBC Earth releases Planet Earth Special Edition and Planet Earth Limited Collector’s Edition to Blu-ray and DVD October 4.

Planet Earth Limited Collector's Edition (TM & © BBC)

Planet Earth: Special Edition will feature improved picture quality which takes advantage of advances in high-definition technology since the original release. Additionally, over 3 hours of new bonus materials including video diaries, a new Greatest Planet Earth Moments feature, and the bonus series Planet Earth: The Future. The Limited Collector’s Edition features a numbered collectible globe case and an exclusive set of 4 art cards in addition to the 6-disc Special Edition items.

UPDATE: CBS Miami has posted a video of the C. Megalodon going for a ride.

According to Florida’s Local10.com, a “life-size” C. megalodon replica was seen traveling south on Interstate 95 in Florida this morning. The enormous replica was being transported on the back of flat-bed trailer on its way to the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Science and Discovery. The replica body was missing its fins and tail region (fear not, it was not the victim of finning) and created somewhat of a spectacle while traveling down the road.

The shark replica will be on display as part of the Prehistoric Florida exhibit in the museum’s EcoDiscovery Center. The exhibit is scheduled to open in mid-November.

You can check out a video of the C. Megalodon en route at Local10.com.

USA Today reports that a publicity photographer was injured on the set of “Shark Night 3D” when he was accidentally bitten by an animatronic great white shark featuring a set of real white shark teeth (as seen in the video above). The 12-foot mechanical shark, created by Oscar-winning special-effects Walt Conti, has a full set of white shark teeth that were acquired from the California Academy of Sciences. The shark weighs 1,000lbs and requires two remote operators to control it.

In addition to the mechanical white shark, a 13-foot animatronic hammerhead shark used in the film was also equipped with a full set of genuine shark teeth. Actor Sinqua Walls told USA Today that he cut his hands on the hammerhead shark while filming a fight scene with it.

The world-famous Headington Shark.
(Photo courtesy of James Turnbull under Creative Commons license.)

The world-famous and often photographed Headington Shark celebrated its 25th anniversary on Tuesday, according to the Oxford Mail. The fiberglass shark was created by artist John Buckley and placed on the roof of Bill Heine in 1986. The shark celebrated its 25th birthday with a street party featuring a book-signing by Heine who recently wrote a book about the story behind the fiberglass shark.

Heine had originally placed the shark on his roof to mark the 41st anniversary of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan in World War II. The appearance of the shark almost immediately drew criticism along with a threat from the Oxford City Council to remove the shark by force, according to the Oxford Mail. However, Heine took the issue to a public inquiry and was eventually granted permission to keep the shark in place, where it has remained for the past 25 years.